Collected Sagebrush (Artemisia Tridentata)

[Sage_bonsai]

I haven't luck collecting sagebrush in winter, but I had better luck collecting in mid March, don't collect anything after early May. Tap root travels deep like six to eight times the size of the plant, so dig deep as you can. If you cut the root it will send off extra fragile feeder root. Soil cactus and succulent soil does wonders.

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

(My photos attached-Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada)

I am struck by how remarkably similar the landscape is to the area where I live. Sorry, I have no advice to offer.

 

[Hartinez]

I just graduated college, and I'm finally getting back into the art in full force. I went from about 50 plants (mostly tiny seedlings) to right now having only 10 trees.

I grew up in Louisiana and am currently in Virginia, so most of my species are southern natives (Bald Cypress, Swamp Maples, Elms, ETC) but I spent a lot of time wondering around in Wyoming for weeks and week on end out of high school. It was my first time really leaving the South, and I will never forget the smell of a storm rolling in and the smell of sage. I've been to every county in Wyoming, and MAN I've wanted to grow sage ever since my first trip.

On that, I've got a friend who's in WY for a job right now. I'm thinking about sending him on a mission to collect some small ones and deliver them to me, but know literally nothing about plants. I don't need anything spectacular, I'd be good with a seedling. Has anyone tried collecting in the dead of winter? My friend has been seeing nighttime temps in the -10s F. And has anyone had any experience with them in the humidity? I know Mirai has luck with theirs but their summers are a big more mild than VA.

I'm a plant biologist/ecologist, so just trying to grow them here for the challenge would be worth my time.

Thanks for any input!

-Collin
(My photos attached-Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada)

I have collected them at all times of the year with mixed results. Can’t say one season is necessarily better than another. I have also repotted them in many different times of year.

Ultimately what I’ve found is that it’s all about winter care if you dig or repot out of season. The tree at the top of this page was repotted in late fall. I’ve left it outside all winter mulched in. It is doing just fine and looks as healthy as ever. I’ve met it watered and continuously checked on it.

I’ve also dug 3 Sage over new years from Taos all of which have stayed outside. They are all
Looking just fine same care as the others.

Only way to know if it’ll work is to just go for it. Fortunately there are literally millions of Sage brush in this western landscape so not a great loss if it dies.